Charles Schumer on Health Care

Last Updated : Nov 12, 2010

Summary

Senator Schumer is a strong supporter of the 2009 health care reform legislation. He supported and advocated for a "strong" public option. He has stated that the penalty enforced in an individual does not purchase health insurance is not a tax, and he proposed placing the fees from those penalties into a pool to purchase insurance for others. Senator Schumer also argued for lowering the affordability waiver from 10 percent of a person's income to 8 percent.

Support for 2009 Health Care Reform

The Mandate and Penalties

In October of 2009, Senator Schumer released a press statement noting an amendment he was introducing to alter the financial penalties for those not purchasing health insurance and altering the limits of those required to purchase it.

Support for the Public Option

Senator Schumer was an early supporter of a public option. In May of 2009, He released a press statement noting that he was supporting a public option for health care reform.

“A public health insurance option is critical to ensure the greatest amount of choice possible for consumers,” Sen. Schumer said. “We believe that it is fully possible to create a public plan that delivers all the benefits of increased competition without relying on unfair, built-in advantages. If a level playing field exists, then private insurers will have to compete based on quality of care and pricing, instead of just competing for the healthiest consumers.”

Health Care Penalty is not a tax

In October of 2009, Senator Schumer released a press statement noting the impropriety of calling the penalty for not purchasing health insurance a "tax". He offers the solution that the fines for not purchasing health insurance could be placed into a fund to help purchase insurance for other. He also spoke about his belief that the penalty was not a tax on the Senate floor.

2010 Re-Election Campaign Website Statements

Voting Record

Repeal of Health Care Reform

In February of 2011, the Senate voted on repealing the 2009-2010 health care reform legislation. The attempt failed on a party line vote . Charles Schumer voted against repealing the health care reform legislation.

The 2009-2010 health care reform legislation passed through the Senate in three votes. The first was to end the filibuster, the second was to pass the Senate bill, and the third was to pass the reconciliation bill.

Due to the death of Senator Kennedy and the election of Senator Brown in Massachussetts, the Democrats no longer possessed the 60 vote majority to break a filibuster. A reconciliation bill was passed to unify the Senate and House version and to enact the legislation. Charles Schumer voted in favor of passage of the reconciliation bill.

Charles Schumer voted in favor of passage of the reconciliation bill.

2009-2010 Health Care Reform - Passage

After the cloture vote to end the filibuster, a vote was taken to pass the legislation called "Obamacare" by its opponents. Charles Schumer in favor of final passage of the legislation.

Charles Schumer in favor of final passage of the legislation.

2009-2010 Health Care Reform - Cloture Vote

The first vote in the health care reform process was for cloture on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2009. This bill was different from the version that had recently passed through the House. Both votes went down party lines with all Democrats supporting the legislation and all Republicans opposing it. Charles Schumer voted in favor of the reform by voting for cloture.

Charles Schumer voted in favor of the reform by voting for cloture.

SCHIP

In addition to attempting overall health care reform, congress re-authorized SCHIP in 2009. SCHIP is a program to provide children with health care and fund it through tobacco taxes. The program passed with the full support of Democrats and roughly 1/4 of the Republicans. Charles Schumer voted in favor of SCHIP.

Charles Schumer voted in favor of SCHIP.

Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act

The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act sets up health requirements for tobacco products, sets labeling guidelines, requires tobacco companies to report the content of their products, and prescribes punishements for violating any rules. The measure passed the Senate 79-17. Charles Schumer voted in favor of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act.

Charles Schumer voted in favor of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act.

Amendment - Drug Reimportation

In July of 2006, a an amendment was voted on to prohibit the United States Customs and Border Protection from preventing an individual not in the business of importing a prescription drug from importing an FDA-approved prescription drug. Charles Schumer voted in favor of the amendment to prevent border patrol agents from taking prescription drugs from citizens crossing the border.

Charles Schumer voted in favor of the amendment to prevent border patrol agents from taking prescription drugs from citizens crossing the border.

Sponsored and Cosponsored Legislation

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal a provision (added by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act) that extends to corporations that are not tax-exempt the requirement to report payments of $600 or more.

Declares that nothing in the McCarran-Ferguson Act shall be construed to permit health insurance issuers or issuers of medical malpractice insurance to engage in any form of price fixing, bid rigging, or market allocations in connection with providing health insurance coverage or coverage for medical malpractice claims or actions. Makes this Act nonapplicable to any information gathering and rate setting activities of any state commission of insurance or any other state regulatory entity with authority to set insurance rates.

Calls for Congress to enact, and the President to sign, legislation to guarantee health coverage, improve health care quality and disease prevention, and reduce health care costs for all Americans and the health care system.

Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to reduce the coverage gap in prescription drug coverage under SSA part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program), based on savings to the Medicare program resulting from the negotiation of prescription drug prices. Grants the Secretary of Health and Human Services authority similar to that of other federal entities that purchase prescription drugs in bulk to negotiate contracts with manufacturers of covered part D drugs. States that the Secretary shall be required to: (1) negotiate contracts with manufacturers of covered part D drugs for each fallback prescription drug plan; and (2) participate in negotiation of contracts of any covered part D drug upon request of an approved prescription drug plan or Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plan.

A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to reduce the coverage gap in prescription drug coverage under part D of such title based on savings to the Medicare program resulting from the negotiation of prescription drug prices.

A resolution to amend part D of title XVIII of the Social Security Act, as added by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, to provide for negotiation of fair prices for Medicare prescription drugs.